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Tokyo, Istanbul play down fears

Pirate Irwin

Tokyo and Istanbul tried on Thursday to allay fears that leaks at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant and Syria conflict might hurt their bids to host the 2020 summer Olympics, as the race entered its final two days.

Madrid by contrast was in relaxed mode and fielded basketball superstar Pau Gasol, who despite being born in Barcelona has thrown his weight behind the Spanish capital city's third successive bid.

All three will learn their fate on Saturday.

Madrid, after finishing third and second for the 2012 and 2016 Games respectively, will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky.

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Tokyo is hoping to gets to host the Games for the second time - having held them in 1964.

If Istanbul wins, Turkey would become the first predominantly Muslim country to welcome the Games.

Their fate lies in the hands of the unpredictable electorate of the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), 98 of whom are eligible to vote in the first round. Members from the cities' countries cannot.

Tokyo has had a wretched few days, with stories continuing to emerge about Fukushima, which was crippled in the tsunami and earthquake two years ago that left over 18,000 people dead.

The latest story on Thursday was that highly radioactive water had leaked from a storage tank and may have seeped into groundwater flowing towards the Pacific Ocean.

However, several high-profile Japanese athletes including the bid's Director of Sport Yuko Arakida said that by hosting the Games they would bring some solace to the young people affected by the tsunami and earthquake.

"Needless to say we want this problem to be solved as quickly as possible," she said.

"We convey our thoughts to the people of Fukushima but we hope that by hosting the Games it will bring inspiration and solace to the children of the area."

Worries that the Syrian conflict could erode support for Istanbul appeared wide of the mark, as four IOC members stated that it would make no difference.

"Current events do play a role but the world is an ever-changing place and who knows what it will be like in seven years time. It is a vote for the future not just about the present," IOC vice-president Ng Ser Miang said.

Istanbul bid chief Hasan Arat said he wasn't concerned and decisions about what happened in Syria lay in the hands of people like his Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"I think that this is a matter for the political leaders to discuss and make decisions at the G20 summit in St Petersburg, Russia," said Arat, who unveiled 25 young Istanbul-based students as a symbol of the country's future.